Bit of a mini rant.....

[Abij]

Just letting off some steam.

Some of you might have seen the other week I was looking for brown corduroy fabric for a bag I want to make. Well I found the fabric I needed (plus a few other things) in an online store last week. I put the order in last monday (i.e. 8 days ago) and got a confirmation email saying it would be sent out first class royal mail.

Ok so no sign of it so today I email a friendly 'Do you have any idea when i should expect it to be delivered?' email and within half an hour I get an email back saying nothing but:
"your order status has been updated: dispatched"

Ok so slightly annoyed now, if they'd emailed to say sorry there's been a delay but we've sent it off now, I'd have been fine. So reply saying I'm a bit confused - has my order just been dispatched now, over a week after I ordered it? Again I get a one sentance email back just saying - yes, you should get it soon.

I'm so annoyed - not at the fact the delivery's late just at the sheer lack of service and communication from this company! It amazes me how, especially in this current climate, people dont seem to care about retaining customers or even being polite on a basic level! A huge difference from the service I've had from the companies like jillybeads, jencel and dichro. Night and day. It's probably annoyed me more because it's the second time it's happened to me this week - a new local printing company was running a promotion on banners so I ordered one to be told it would be ready for pick up yesterday (again communication was like getting blood from a stone) only for them to not answer their phone all day yesterday!

[ejralph]

Oh that is bad.

I would be just as annoyed. There is no excuse for not keeping customers informed on the status of their orders.

I know people often look for the reason behind these things and think "maybe they are having a bad day" or something, but that is no excuse. Even when I have had a serious crisis going on in my family, I still kept the customers orders going out and kept them informed as to what was going on.


How long does it really take to type out exactly what day your order was despatched, so at least you know when roughly to expect it?

Things like this give all online sellers a bad name, that is what bugs me - when so many of us do everything in our power to keep our customers happy.

I just hope your order arrives soon and everything is how you wanted it. Same with your banners.

[Glitz and Glamour]

Makes you realise why companies go out of business. If they cannot get the basics right what hope do they have for the larger things.

[Emmalou]

I know how you feel. And no matter how annoyed or upset you get,these companies really don't seem too bothered. Makes you wonder how they stay in business!!!

Chin up

Emma xx

[Critchley]

My word. Business must be soo good if they can afford to offend customers.!!!!!!! I wonder if/why Masnagement are aware of what staff are doing/saying or not saying. I bet they don't. How foolish.

[Abij]

I know, I really wonder how they stay in business, especially the printers as the promotion they are running is to attract new customers, as it is they'll have spent a fortune giving away free stock and have no new customers because of their awful service!

So it now loks like one of the items I ordered was out of stock, I'd just be happier if I'd been told this to start rather than worry that my delivery had got lost or something. And you're right - I find myself ususally being a bit of a doormat and making excuses for people who let me down while also overly pressuring myself to never let people down.

It show you how important it is to get the personal customer service side of things right. Oh and ejralph.....I should include you in my list of great suppliers, my order from you came quickly and even the packaging shows you care about surpassing people's expectations!

[baines]

If it was a small company then I would expect a better level of service. But if it was a larger one, well.... I don't really expect a great level of service from larger organizations and I am rarely disappointed.

[Abij]

I agree that you can expect less from larger companies, but in this case one is a 2/3 man show and the other a small to medium I'd say.

Even a large corporate company I'd expect an email to say item x is out of stock right now rather than just silence.

[the card shark]

It would be nice to know you were dealing with a human being as opposed to a robot!

The personal touch is what makes or breaks small businesses. They may be blissfully unaware that they are not offering good customer service - unless you tell them, of course. Just a polite line or two (after you've received the goods) will be enough.

[samigail]

I'd be very cross too, it doesn't cost anything to provide good customer service and in fact may reap rewards.

There I was yesterday feeling super guilty as I had a customer email to say her wine box had been damaged in the post but her email arrived while I was helping at school and therefore didn't pick it up to be able to reply for 2 hours! Anyway, it all got sorted, customer was very lovely about it, even photographed the damage for me for to help fill in a damaged item form for Royal Mail, and a new box on it's way today.

[bodrighy]

Ouch, this is hitting home as I have had a couple of times recently where I have been guilty of this myself. I am badly organised still and so had a couple of orders that I thought had gone out and hadn't. It can happen though I do agree it is inexcusable and does reflect badly on those of us who are guilty of it.
Pete

[ejralph]

.... Oh and ejralph.....I should include you in my list of great suppliers, my order from you came quickly and even the packaging shows you care about surpassing people's expectations!

Why thank you!

I have to say though, the nice packaging isn't entirely altruistic.

As well as being pretty, it also helps protect the items and is eco-friendly. Also it is sooooo boring packing orders - makes it much more fun to put in nice baggies.

I think, like most small mail order companies, I just try to give the sort of service I myself would like. That is all any of us can do really isn't it. Sometimes things go wrong and you can never please all the people all of the time. But you can at least get out of breath trying...

And they don't come much smaller than EJR Beads. It's just me and the cat here. So any and all complaints should be directed to Munchie. I'll let her take the rap if anything goes pear-shaped I think.

Emma

[Leisure Time Collection]

That's awful; today I have made 3 trips to the post office to ensure that customers goods arrive at the earliest opportunity.

When it comes to customer service businesses large and small need to remember that while it takes a while to build a good reputation, it only takes one unhappy customer to ruin that reputation.



For example A customer tells a friend of their awful experience with said company and that friend tells another friend and before you know it your businesses reputation is tarnished.

Customers should be treated with the same respect, as you yourself would expect.

[ejralph]

That's awful; today I have made 3 trips to the post office to ensure that customers goods arrive at the earliest opportunity.

When it comes to customer service businesses large and small need to remember that while it takes a while to build a good reputation, it only takes one unhappy customer to ruin that reputation.



For example A customer tells a friend of their awful experience with said company and that friend tells another friend and before you know it your businesses reputation is tarnished.

Customers should be treated with the same respect, as you yourself would expect.

This is so true - reputation can be your best advert.

And good customer service just makes sense - it helps build repeat business.

Although, I have to say - there are limits to the "customer is always right" ethos too. A a very tiny minority of people just take the mickey or maybe really nice people but simply have unrealistic expectations of what you are able to do for them. So I have been known to "sack" the odd customer here and there too, I have to concede

By and large though - mail order works on a basis of mutual respect I think.

I feel utterly blessed in my business because my customers are very lovely people. Many have gone on to become friends too. So even though I have worked alone for all these years on this business, I don't think I have ever had a day where I felt lonely!

I know that sounds sycophantical and gushy, but it is absolutely true. Many of my extended family run businesses, in all walks of life. Most of them are jealous of my clientele, because they just don't see the same supportive community that we have here in the crafting/ beading world.

And I think when you have customers who are so supportive, and love what you are doing, it is easy to want to give 110 percent really.

Emma

[Leyh]

Just adding my tuppence worth, there's no excuse for bad service no matter how large the company, I really hope that UK companies catch on to this fact soon, so many people don't seem to get it. I recently read, Ithink on Mary Portas' page, about appallling service in a local shop, result no further custom from Mary! I work in customer facing situations all the time when I'm not huddled over my beading, all the people I work for stress the importance of smiles and good service.